- Joined
- Mar 10, 2016
- Messages
- 55
Hi everyone. I'm new here and as green as you can get on a lathe. This is my first ever attempt to make something and it's only the first part of a small slide hammer center punch.
I would like to tell you what I learned and hopefully you can steer me away from any bad habits I'm forming.
1. I learned it's important to find center on my stock and drill it correctly
2. I learned I need to get some center drill bits. It's a bear trying to keep my work from moving around when it's not drilled right.
3. I learned a new cutting tool isn't necessarily sharp and how to sharpen one (I think)
4. I learned I need to minimize the overhang of my cutting tool or it vibrates.
5. I learned to start with a long enough piece of stock so I won't have to re-position the piece in the lathe. (Hard to impossible to get it centered again)
6. I learned threading ain't easy and I learned those numbers on that little dial where you lock the saddle to the leadscrew mean something. I think I learned that you have to start the feed on the same number every time to properly cut threads. Is that right? As you can see, I figured that out too late so I'll have to cut it off and shorten.
Any tips on threading would be most welcome.
Ken